


Our Place Among the Infinities

by ghost_ride_the_wip



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Baby Yoda has had A Day, Between Episodes, Fluff, Found-family, Galaxys Best Dad, Gen, ManDadlorian, Sometimes... The Way... is worse, Spoilers for Mando's name (good one Pedro), emotionally repressed and doing his best!!, lite inner-turmoil, protect the green bean!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21716542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghost_ride_the_wip/pseuds/ghost_ride_the_wip
Summary: One day soon, the Mandalorian will have to make a choice.
Relationships: The Mandalorian & Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 396





	Our Place Among the Infinities

**Author's Note:**

> The ManDadlorian finally got me to write fanfiction

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, two lost children shared a campfire.

Since stowing away with his shifty clients asset, Dyn Jarren had been searching for place where a child with the galaxy’s largest bounty on its head could live in peace. He hadn’t expected it to be an easy task, but the last few planets he’d scouted had greeted them with all manner of danger, the latest of which being an initially peaceful race of jungle-dwelling bioluminescent humanoids that had turned out to have an affinity for paralytic blow-darts and a taste for little green children. They’d dropped Dyn like a stone with a bolt tipped in something that turned all his muscles to soup and stolen away with the kid. When he regained control of his motor functions Dyn had tracked down the kidnappers and found the baby moments away from being sliced and diced up for a snack. One look at his frightened eyes and half the camp was choking on whistling birds. The rest were disintegrated before they could reach for their blowguns.

Dyn sighed and tossed another log into the little fire. The flames resisted the damp green wood of the native trees, curling around it reluctantly in a fit of smoke that filled the rocky valley they’d taken shelter in. The tainted air made the kid cough from his seat on the Mandalorian’s boot. It was a pitiful sound, accompanied by a cry as the smoke stung at his wide blinking eyes. Strange 3-pronged hands scrabbled at Dyn’s beskar greaves in an attempt to climb but the smooth surface gave little purchase. Staring up at Dyn in alarm the child mewed and raised his arms, begging to be lifted to safety.

Dyn lasted 2 whole seconds before he scooped the wriggling bundle up and took them both away from the acrid smoke. Holding the kid firmly against his cuirass, he wandered up the side of the valley. The little one had been a bit shaken up by his ordeal, and hadn’t left Dyn's side even to hunt the glowing grasshoppers that flitted around as they made their way out of the jungle. Fortunately, after a bit of scrambling around in the underbrush, Dyn had been able to scoop one up for him, and the kid had eaten his fill. He knew he should probably encourage him not to worry about being taken away again, but for now Dyn was more than content to stay close. If he was honest, it had been a scary day for them both.

The crest of the valley flattened out into a grassy hillock. It was a shame about the dangerous inhabitants, as the planet itself was breathtaking. Dyn took them up to the top of the hill and the baby wriggled up to look around. Up here the air was clearer, and a silver sky bathed them in starlight. Dyn smiled as the kid mumbled incoherent wonder next to his ear.

“Which one should we try next?” Dyn asked absently, watching little claws grasp at distant stars. “Think there’s one out there for you?”

The child turned and looked up at his visor, a questioning look in his eyes. Dyn watched him place a gentle paw against the metal of his breastplate, where the Mandalorian’s heart lay buried under layers of plate and armor. It was as if he was saying, _For us_.

Of course, he didn’t really say anything, just stared for a moment, then turned his attention back to the sky.

Dyn followed suit, trying to escape the unasked question. But he couldn’t. Today’s mission had been a spectacular failure, but the next one might be a success. Every new planet they found could be the safe place they were searching for. And when they found it he would have to make a choice; to stay and try to be someone new, or to say goodbye and go back to his life. A Mandalorian life. The only life he’d ever truly known. It shouldn’t even be up for discussion.

But he’d tried to leave the kid before, and it hadn’t stuck.

Claws tightened around his thumb, sensing his unease, or maybe absently grasping for something to hold onto. There was a gurgle and arms stretched out toward the lush grass, and Dyn obediently set the child down to shuffle around his feet. The baby tipped his heavy head back to look up at the stars once more and leaned so far he toppled backward into the grass with a squeal.

Dyn sighed and dropped down beside him. He stretched out on his back, letting his muscles relax against the rigid mold of his armor. Unlike his old set the newly minted beskar still had all its rough edges. It was uncomfortable in a familiar way. It reminded him of his people, scattered across the sky above but held close by the metal encasing his body, protecting him even now. And it reminded him who he was; a foundling, a Mandalorian, a bounty hunter. Fated to wander. It was the way.

Wasn’t it?

Above them, a billion silver dots burned like beacons of hope, each one offering the sanctuary they were seeking, and Dyn felt curiously hollow at the sight. He glanced over at child through the grass. He was entranced, little face blank in concentration, calm for the first time since their close call.

“You like the stars, huh.”

The baby murmured.

It was a strange picture, he thought, a Mandalorian and the most wanted bounty in the galaxy, stargazing. It might be the kids first time ever really trying it. As far as he could remember, it was Dyn’s as well.

After some time cooing at the sparkling sky, the kid got up and shuffled closer to Dyn’s shoulder, burrowing around until he was comfortably resting at the crevice of the bounty hunters’ neck. Dyn tried several times to extract him from his perch but the little alien squeaked in protest and squashed himself closer.

“Cold?” Dyn asked as he settled resolutely against his helmet for the third time. But the baby’s need for nearness had nothing to do with the waning heat. Neither did Dyn’s. And that scared him more than anything else.

The kid went back to stargazing. A warm paw absently found its way to the side of Dyn’s neck and he jumped in surprise as it slipped from the thick collar of his undershirt to the only line of exposed skin on his body, unprotected, just below his helmet. His pulse quickened with that familiar sense of fear that kicked in when anyone got too close, but he didn’t move away. The kid didn’t know who he was, and the ways of his people. The kid was maybe the only one he’d ever met that didn’t care at all about the helmet. He always seemed to look right past it at something buried deep, something fundamental inside. And whatever it was he’d found in Dyn, he trusted. 

So Dyn was gentle when he brushed the kids hand away, and let the kid grab his finger instead, clawing at the leather of his glove and hugging his stubby arms around it. A comet whooshed by in the sky above and he chirped in delight.

“Alright. Since I seem to only take us to terrible planets, I’ll let you pick the next one.” He offered. The child blinked at him. “Like this” Dyn said pointing up at the sky. “Pick a star.”

The child considered the gesture for a moment and hesitantly pointed up at a particularly bright light, a planet for sure.

Dyn nodded. “Done.” He said. “We’ll go tomorrow.”

Safe and warm curled against Dyn’s helmet it wasn’t long before the kids breathing evened out into soft snorts, paws still clutching Dyn’s gloved finger. And as he lay beneath a gaping sky, Dyn tried not to wonder when the day would come that he’d have to let go.

**Author's Note:**

> I sacrificed an assignment to write Baby and Mando stargazing and I don't regret one single thing thank u for reading


End file.
